Every once in a while, a trailer comes along that makes me giddy with delight. A huge grin spreads across my face as I clap like a four-year-old on Christmas morning. The trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is one of these trailers, a trailer that reminds me why I love going to the movies.

Prince Caspian, like its predecessor The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is a faithful adaptation of the saga written by C.S. Lewis. I read The Chronicles of Narnia annually during my dorky childhood, and so far the movies are even better than I had ever imagined in the books. In this installment, the Pevensie kids return to Narnia one year later to find that an eon has passed and their kingdom is in turmoil. The battle scenes alone will be worth my $11.

Prince Caspian is unmissable. For everyone who loves an epic adventure on the big screen, SEE IT. For everyone who wishes there could be another installment of Lord of the Rings, SEE IT. For all you Harry Potter fans in withdrawal, SEE IT. For all the fellow dweebs who still hope to find Narnia waiting behind the next door, SEE IT.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is not yet rated and opens May 16. (official site)

P.S. This installment comes to you from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. Check Globestompers.com for the latest on my trip around the world.

Feel free to comment on Julie’s post here.

This trailer just dropped today, and the first thought that came to my mind was “Why?!”

Are there really people out there that are just dying to see Alvin and the Chipmunks up on the big screen? And I get it that this is a kid’s movie, but Alvin and the Chipmunks have been absent from the television screen for decades. Plus, did you see these little CGI chipmunks? They’re not cute; they’re creepy. And Alvin eats a turd, for christ sake. How is that funny?

I am definitely going to SKIP IT, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m just wondering what Jason Lee is thinking. This is how he leverages his My Name is Earl success? He’s on top right now. Why is he competing with Cuba Gooding Jr. for movie roles?

Alvin and the Chipmunks is not yet rated but I’m assuming it’ll be rated G. And it opens on Christmas. (Official Site)

There are few things in this world as magical as a Disney fairy tale. Everyone has their favorite; from the old-school classics like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to the newer gems like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. In recent years Disney has taken a detour from their traditional route in their partnership with Pixar, and while that pairing has created some great films (Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles), there’s still nothing quite like a Disney fairy tale. As far as I can tell, Mulan is the last fairy tale they created, and that was in 1998 (and Mulan is based on a Chinese folktale, so does it even count as a ‘fairy tale’?). And no, I’m not counting any of those half-assed straight to video sequels that have been created.

With Enchanted, it looks like Disney is trying to get back to its roots…but with a twist. We start out in a magical animated land with all the fairy tale basics: beautiful princess, handsome prince, cute woodland creatures, and an evil queen determined to wreak havoc on everyone’s happiness. And by “wreak havoc” I mean “toss the beautiful princess into the reality of modern-day Manhattan.” The lovely Princess Giselle suddenly finds herself a little less two-dimensional as she goes from a cartoon to a real person, played by Amy Adams, who must find her way back home and try to survive in a city that has no need for princesses.

Fortunately for her, her true love, Prince Edward, has followed her into reality and is determined to find and rescue her. Unfortunately for him, a city that has no need for princesses is even less accepting of a weird guy in tights who brandishes a sword and randomly bursts into song. It also looks like he may have some competition for Giselle’s affection, as she has befriended a “real” man, played by the McDreamy Patrick Dempsey (that’s right, I watch Grey’s Anatomy, don’t judge me). And of course the evil queen, played by Susan Sarandon, is going to see to it that their journey back to magical animated land isn’t an easy one.

At first I was tempted to give Enchanted a ‘rent it’ review (I’m over the age of 12 and have no children, so I’m not exactly their key audience), but who am I kidding? I know I’m going to go SEE IT. I love all the Disney classics and this looks like it could be a hilarious update of the traditional fairy tale. It certainly has piqued my interest more than Stardust has, and this New Yorker needs the occasional dose of magic to keep her from becoming too cynical and jaded.

Enchanted is not yet rated and opens November 21. (Official site)

Everybody has one summer blockbuster they can not wait to see. For some, it is The Simpsons. For others, it is Pirates of the Caribbean. For me, there is only one must-SEE IT movie this summer: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I just finished re-reading all the books in time for the July 21 release of the final book, and in the meantime I can’t wait to see the next movie. I am a total dweeb, and that’s ok.

This is the second trailer released by Warner Brothers. (For the first trailer, click here.) I continue to be amazed at how this franchise just continues to get better and better. The story is becoming more layered and the younger actors have become so skilled that they can go toe to toe against their Oscar-winning co-stars. Judging by both trailers, Order of the Phoenix looks like a suspense-filled movie that can stand on its own and entertain even non-Potter fans (such people exist?) who find themselves in the cinema. (How scary is that shot of Voldemort in a three-piece suit?)

And now, a casting question. The sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is in pre-production and there is one small but juicy role to be cast. Narcissa Malfoy, mother of Draco and wife of evil Lucius, makes her first appearance in a pivotal scene at the start of the story. Narcissa is described as having blonde hair, blue eyes, and “a look on her face as if there were something smelly under her nose.” She has a sixteen-year-old son, so she would be at least 36 years old. Like the rest of the cast, the actress that plays her must be British. Naomi Watts’ name has been bandied about (she grew up in the UK), but she looks a little young and is identified as Australian. So who should play icy Narcissa Malfoy?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is rated PG-13 and opens on July 13. I can’t wait! (Official site)

I’m no filmmaker, but I would imagine one of the hardest films to make (and make well) are fantasy fairy tales. How can you tell when you’re crossing the line from “fantastical” to “utterly ridiculous”? How do you make the film relatable, yet keep the fairy tale element going strong? It seems that fantasy fairy tales can only fall into one of two categories: truly magical (The Princess Bride and The Adventure of Baron Munchausen) or completely dismal (every unnecessary sequel to The Neverending Story).

Stardust is certainly aiming to land in the former category, but the core fairy tale sounds a little far-fetched (yes, even for a fairy tale). Love struck and poshly British, Tristan vows to fetch a fallen star for his true love. But in order to do so, he must cross “the wall” (it’s more dramatic if you say it with a British accent), which is apparently also a vortex leading into a magical land. Once there, Tristan finds that the fallen star isn’t a star at all, it’s Claire Danes in a flowy dress. He decides to bring her back with him anyway (why his lady love would want him to return with another woman is beyond me), but the journey isn’t an easy one. Apparently a fallen star/woman is highly coveted in this crazy world. There is a wicked witch trying to steal the star so she can restore herself and her fellow hags to their former beauty. There is a band of pirates on an airborne ship who want the star (for reasons not explained in the trailer). And there’s a prince who appears to be more evil than charming who is also set upon stopping their trip home.

As bizarre as the story is, Stardust does boast an impressive cast. There’s the afore mentioned Claire Danes as the fallen star. Michelle Pfeiffer looks to be wonderfully evil as the wicked witch and Robert De Niro is the airborne pirate captain. Ricky Gervais (of British The Office fame) has a supporting role and Sienna Miller is the girl Tristan is bringing Claire Danes home to.

I’m going to wait and RENT IT. I do believe that it is time for another well-done fantasy fairy tale film, but I’m not quite convinced that Stardust is it.

Stardust is rated PG-13 and opens August 10. (Official site)

The fact that there are people in Hollywood still green lighting projects like Underdog is what makes me fear for the future of movies. I wish I could have been an observer of the thought process that went into this film. I imagine it went something like this:

Big Hollywood Executive: “Let’s see…we need to come up with the next big family-friendly movie…but let’s ignore the example of successful family film franchises like Harry Potter, Shrek, and the Pixar films and do something totally asinine. Let’s make a movie based off a moderately popular 1960’s cartoon, about a superhero dog, that very few people remember anymore. But it won’t be a cartoon; it’ll be live action! And instead of using an animated dog, we’ll computer animate a real dog so it looks like it’s flying and talking! Never mind that this dog looks nothing like the dog from the cartoon, the American public is obviously too stupid to notice. And instead of finding a voice actor who can recreate the voice of the original Underdog (because his voice is really the most memorable part of the cartoon), let’s get Jason Lee to do the voice in his usual smarmy way. It worked so well for his characters in the Kevin Smith movies, why wouldn’t it work here? Yes, of course Kevin Smith’s films are only for adults, so kids probably have no idea who Jason Lee is, but who cares? It’s a movie about a dog. Who flies! And talks! Why should I put any more thought into a movie that’s for children? Kids will watch anything! This project is a go! Now I’m going to play a round of golf, call me when it’s time for the wrap party.”

SKIP IT. Burn it. Put it in a sack and toss it in the river. Because as long as people are willing to spend money to see movies like this, Hollywood will continue to make them. And the future of family films deserves better than that.

Underdog is rated PG and opens August 3. (Official site)

As any twenty-something alive recalls, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were one of the biggest cultural icons of Generation Y. Too bad Harvey Weinstein and his gang of “creative” thugs had to go and butcher it for a quick buck. Sure it’s flashy, computer generated, and even a bit kitschy at times, but who wants to sit through an hour-and-a-half remake of something that we’ve all watched dozens of times?

I mean really, it looks like a droll hybrid of Independence Day, Ghostbusters, Armageddon, and any other summer blockbustery schlock we’ve all been fed consistently over the last ten years. As if that wasn’t enough, they add insult to injury by “hipping” the name up with an acronym and losing the live-action costumes! I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna miss Master Splinter in his rat suit.

My advice: SKIP IT, or else they’ll keep feeding us more.

TMNT is rated PG and opens March 23. (Official Site)

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If you’re looking for me on July 13, look no further than the largest auditorium at the Loews Kips Bay cinema, where I’ll happily be watching the newest installment of the Harry Potter movies.

There’s no suspense here–obviously I can’t wait to SEE IT. The Order of the Phoenix actually looks like it may be an improvement upon the book, which is saying alot. The kids have gotten better and better with each film. And the franchise continues to attract Britain’s top acting talent. This time around, Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton join the cast that already includes Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, and Jason Isaacs. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort was so evil, so scary, in the last ten minutes of the last installment that I can’t wait to see Voldemort with more screen time. But whatever, man, I’m just there for the Quidditch.

So now, without further ado, here is the teaser for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is not yet rated and opens July 13. (Official site)

My friend Rachel told me that she wouldn’t check out my site again until I reviewed Charlotte’s Web. So, Rachel, this one is for you.

Charlotte’s Web was originally published in 1952, but technology is now at a point where a faithful live-action film version can finally be made.

Paramount and Walden Media have assembled a truly all-star cast, which is easy when most of their roles only require a few days of voiceover work. You won’t see them, but you’ll hear Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese, Kathy Bates, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, and more. Steve Buscemi sounds exactly as I’d always imagined Templeton the Rat would sound. As much as I love Julia Roberts, though, she sounds like she is reading aloud at story hour. I don’t see Charlotte; I see a spider and I hear Julia Roberts.

Dakota Fanning lends some star power to the live-action cast. She is the only person who is young enough to play Fern and guarantee a big opening weekend. It’s nice to see her in an age appropriate role, unlike her next project. She has the rest of her life to be an adult.

The bottom line is that it is always difficult to make a good book into a good movie, and it is even more difficult when the book is as beloved as Charlotte’s Web. I mean, come on, who hasn’t read the book? But doesn’t that trailer just give you the warm fuzzies? Don’t we all need more miracles? It looks like this is going to be Some Movie, so I say SEE IT!

Charlotte’s Web is rated G and opens on December 15. (Official Site)

-posted by Julie